


What An Outrageous Color

by flamingstuffs



Category: Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine
Genre: F/M, Silly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2015-02-08
Packaged: 2018-03-11 03:45:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3312677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamingstuffs/pseuds/flamingstuffs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chell has no hopes of making the prince, heir of Ella and Char, fall in love with her. No, all she is aiming for is a lasting impression in the prince's mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"There we are, Dearest. Move a little to the right." Carolyn tugged on the hem of my skirt. I shifted to the right, holding my breath, just in case she accidentally stuck me with a pin.   
"Why on earth did you ask for a dress of such obnoxious color?" My little sister stood, hands on hips, in the doorway.  
"None of your business." I smoothed the orange fabric with my palms. I was surprised that there was silk in that color. Not a deep pumpkin shade, but a blinding, headache-inducing orange. It wasn't my FAVORITE color, but it would serve my purpose well enough. The dress was long, but only slightly held out by my small hoops. I never liked hoop skirts, and this event was no exception. Corsets were out of the question. My hair was simple, since I have scandalously short hair, all it took was some slight smoothing and combing. Jewelry was kept to a minimum. If I was going to go dance all night long for three nights in a row, I had to be comfortable, all the same since I was traveling far and had to find myself accommodations for several nights. 

I picked up the invitation.   
THE PRINCE'S BALL WILL BE HELD AT THE ROYAL PALACE IN FRELL, BEGINNING AT SEVEN TWENTY-THREE PM, FOR THREE NIGHTS. GUESTS WILL RETURN TO THIER LODGING OF CHOICE AT FOUR TWENTY-THREE AM AND RETURN AT SEVEN TWENTY-THREE PM THE NEXT NIGHT.   
When I had received the invitation, I had been giddy with excitement. I squirmed with impatience as Carolyn methodically finished hemming my ball gown.   
"Step down, sweetheart. There's my girl." Carolyn was an endearing old lady, with frizzy, bright white hair all about her head in a halo, occasionally tied back with a scrap of ribbon. She stood and slipped a thin silver necklace around my throat, and fastened it loosely. She gave me a kind smile. I had told her my plans, mostly to convince her to make me the orange dress, and for some reason, she hadn't argued. Maybe she agreed with me.   
"Come along, Dearie." Carolyn took my hand, leading me down the corridor. I followed, my heart attempting to make an escape from my chest, for the excitement was almost too much to bear. 

We emerged from the house, and my breath stole from my lungs. Our family's best carriage sat there, gleaming from the top to the wheels. The horses' magnificent heads reared, perhaps saluting us. Nicolas the coachman sat there, holding the reigns.   
"But- Carolyn, I thought- I thought I was never allowed to TOUCH the good carriage!" I stuttered.  
"You weren't, but your parents decided it would be nice for you to arrive to such an important event in the best vehicle available." Carolyn slipped my mask into my hands, gently guiding me into the carriage.  
"Have fun, sweetheart." My last image before we drove off was of Carolyn, waving with a huge grin on her face, and my little sister sulking in the doorway, hiding from the morning sunlight. I turned away, chuckling at her chagrin. 

The carriage ride took the majority of the day, and the closer I got to Frell, the more nervous I got. What if every lady there is prettier than me? What if the prince never even notices me? No. I told myself. That's what the dress is for. Even so, my teeth began to chatter as we drove up to the palace gates. It was then late evening, exactly 7:20 PM, three minutes early. Although the twilight limited my vision, I could still see that almost every lady there was in a light, floaty pink, since that color was in the hight of fashion.   
"Nicholas!" I called out the carriage window. He jumped down from the carriage seat, and came over inquisitively.  
"Nicholas, can you find us somewhere to stay after the ball is over? Here-" I dumped some coins into his palm." If that isn't enough, come find me." I stepped out of the carriage, into the cobble stones. I'd worn the pointest shoes I could find, causing me to slip and have to catch myself on the door of the carriage. Nicholas climbed back to his seat, waved hurredly and took off. I turned to the palace and took a deep breath. 

As I walked into the entrance hall of the castle, I adjusted my mask. I hated wearing anything on my face, but wearing the mask for as long as possible was part of the plan. I heard whispers behind me, probably about my outrageous dress and my startling hair. Prince Jerrold II stood at the end of a long line of women, greeting them all and welcoming them to the Royal Palace. I had heard somewhere that this was supposed to be a recreation of the ball when Queen Ella had met King Char, and I sincerely hoped it would, since that ball seemed like it had been great fun. Perhaps I'd even speak to the Prince, and maybe even the lady who he'd choose! The thought sparked a pang in me. But no, I was there to enjoy the ball, and maybe even make a lasting impression in the Prince's mind. Not like all the others. They were all here looking for a husband, while all I could do was try to be as outrageous and memorable as possible, since beauty beyond compare was NOT going to be a solution for me. And besides, if all I wanted was to make a lasting impression, then I might as well have fun doing it. I slid to the end of the line, immediately followed by some girls who giggled incessantly and were general fools. As the line approached Prince Jerrold, one of them tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to look at her.  
"We wanted to ask you. Where are you from, and why is your hair so short and why on earth is your dress that color?" The rapid-fire questions caught me off guard.   
"Ooh, I bet she's from one of those poor families, who cant afford ANYTHING except that horrid orange." Another girl explodes into giggles. I turned away huffily, to find that the line had moved considerably. I rushed to keep up, and in no time, there was only one lady between me and the Prince. She curtsied, and right then and there I decided i was going to be as unlady-like as possible. The woman in front of me moved on, leaving me with Prince Jerrold the Second.   
"Hello, I'm Prince Jerrold." He declared in a bored voice. "Welcome to the royal palace." He bowed, expecting me to curtsy in return. I didn't. I reached out and shook his hand vigorously.   
"It's quite a pleasure to meet you. My name is Chell." I bowed like a man, and stepped away, grinning at the shocked expression on his face, and the faces of the gigglers who had been behind me. 

Although I was nervous, I got over it when I saw the food. I was a girl who loved to eat. I loaded my plate and sat down, only bothering with the slightest of manners. After I could hold no more, I stood. Immediately, several pages asked me for a dance. I accepted the request of the youngest of these, he was perhaps fifteen years of age, and I pitied him, for his face was plain. We danced and I'm sure I had a fabulous time, but I don't remember much. It was mostly a blur of hours, dancing with various men of the court, laughing, twirling, and generally enjoying the stares. Eventually, I took a break, since I had been dancing continually for three hours. Having removed my mask, I slid over to the punch bowl, seeing as the floor was wonderfully slick, and just asking to be skated upon. I retrieved a glass of punch and found a seat at the edge of the room. I watched the dancers for maybe twenty minutes, before I spotted the prince. He definitely knew how to dance, skillfully whirling across the floor with his dancing partner. The music stopped with a flourish. He stood straight up, maybe thanking his partner, when he caught sight of me and my blazing orange dress. He winked. Various girls and ladies swooped upon him, obviously vying for his next dance. I couldn't just sit there one moment longer. I slid over to the crown and utilized my weapons, known as elbows, to make my way to the front.   
"Your majesty, if I may have the pleasure of this dance?" I bowed. Some of the women behind me gasped. One of the rules of balls is that the ladies NEVER EVER ask the men to dance. You are supposed to wait for them to ask you. But I wasn't going to play that game.   
"With pleasure." Prince Jerrold took my hand and led me to the center of the dance floor. I could feel envious eyes on my back. The music started, and I felt him moving, guiding me through the steps.  
"Where did you learn to dance?" I asked him.  
"Here at the palace. Dance Mistress is one of the only women I'm comfortable being around. The others are my sister and my mother." He spoke softly and slowly.  
"If you're so shy around women, why have a ball?"   
"Mother's idea. She's so stubborn, I couldn't hope of talking her out of it."   
I tripped, cursing under my breath. He raised his eyebrows.  
"Such language is unlady-like."   
"What do I care? Such a dress, and such a hairstyle are unlady-like. And this." I kicked off my shoes, flinging them over the dancer's heads, making people duck. I heard them land somewhere off to the left, near the banquet tables, causing pandemonium. The Prince laughed. I felt a flutter of excitement in my stomach. The song ended, and the Prince apologized and left to tend to his other guests. I sprinted toward where I threw my shoes, not to recover them, but to see the people's faces.

Very early that morning, I lay in bed. Nicholas had found suitable rooms in an Inn about three minutes walk from the palace. I needed some sleep, since I had been awake for almost twenty-four hours. As I drifted off, I thought of Prince Jerrold laughing when I threw my shoes. The scolding I'd gotten from the waiters had been worth it. I snuggled down into the warm sheets and fell instantly asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter is Jerrold talking to Ella fyi

AFTER ELLA ENCHANTED PT2  
"Mother, there's still two more nights left, did you think I was going to find my 'true love' in eight hours?!" Jerrold sighed. His mother was drilling him about every single lady he had talked to, danced with, or glanced at. Apparently, she had been watching from the balcony, and had noticed the girl in the orange dress - she had said her name was Chell - and had some very strong opinions about her.   
"She is simply odd, unusual to say the least. Throwing her shoes like that, even I dare not." Jerrold sat in silence, arms crossed, head bowed.  
"I want you to dance with her again." Jerrold's head snapped up.  
"Mother- I-"  
Queen Ella chuckled.   
"I see that blush, so you ARE smitten with her. Don't deny yourself, young man." She shook a finger at him.  
"Mother, there are many women I haven't even TALKED to, I can't decide just like that, I don't even KNOW her!!" Jerrold protested.  
"Thats why you are going to dance with her again." Ella's word was final. She swooped out of the room, heading back up to her balcony perch, in order to observe the proceedings. Jerrold walked slowly down the spiral staircase, the banister polished to a shiny slick surface, primarily for sliding on. He plodded across the empty dance floor and sat in a large plush chair, which occupied a spot in the entrance hall, waiting for the first guests of the second evening. 

Although I arrived thirty minutes early to the palace, there was already a crowd. To my surprise, sentries were letting people in early, one by one. I immediately made use of my elbows and got inside the gate quite quickly. I slowed to a leisurely pace as I neared the entrance. A small group of girls huddled in a corner of the hall, so I thought I might investigate. When I arrived, I saw Prince Jerrold, who had fallen asleep, waiting for guests to start showing up. I shoved two giggling girls out of my way. I took ahold of his shoulder and shook him none too gently. I had learned from my brother that boys do not awake easily. He blinked his eyes open, and suddenly leapt out of his chair. I jumped back, startled, treading on the toes of several girls, which I did not regret. He stuttered out an apology, and as the mob of girls advanced on him, I slipped away. I figured that, awake, he could probably take on fifteen petite girls. I strolled into the ballroom, and immediately spotted my opportunity. Nobody was dancing yet, and that left me plenty of floor space to slide. I got up a running start, and sped across the ballroom floor. It had been waxed and polished in the time between balls. I whooped, twirling on the slippery surface. After a while, I stopped, because the orchestra was coming in and quite a few guests had gathered, simply watching me enjoy myself. Prince Jerrold either hadn't remerged yet, or he was still trapped. I plunked myself on a cushiony chair in my most unlady-like fashion, running a hand through my short hair. Soon more and more people streamed in, filling the enormous space with bodies. I tried to search out Jerrold, eventually finding him surrounded by a knot of young giggly girls. I recognize them as the girls who made fun of my dress the first day. I am wearing the exact same dress today, something that no sophisticated woman would EVER do. As few of the gigglers' eyes fall on me, their faces darken and they glare at me. I roll my eyes. There's no need to be JEALOUS. The prince doesn't care about me, although I'm sure he REMEMBERS me. How could he not? I smile to myself, loving making a spectacle.

**Author's Note:**

> I am kind of shipping an OC with an OC but just in that universe sooooooo no judgey.


End file.
